Sport

Yorkshire stay in box seat

Yorkshire lost both openers in the second session of their match against Middlesex at Lord’s but still remained in a dominant position on 119-2 when the players came in for tea.

Taking a very healthy first-innings lead of 55 into the afternoon of the second day, Adam Lyth and Alex Lees proceeded to milk the home attack with some ease and the pair had extended their side’s advantage to 137 before Lees was bowled for 33, playing no shot to Ollie Rayner’s off-spin.

Lyth reached his 96-ball fifty with a boundary off Steven Finn but the bowler soon exacted revenge when the Yorkshire opener edged a good ball to second slip where Rayner took a brilliant one-handed catch falling away to his right.

The opener’s departure for 54 brought Joe Root to the wicket and the stand-in Yorkshire skipper got off a pair with a squirted single before hooking his England colleague Finn for a six.

By tea, Root was unbeaten on 11, Williamson was 15 not out and Yorkshire were 119-2, a lead of 174 with over two days left to play.